In Flux
by Tipear
Summary: The Doctor is alone and broken. He despairs over his loss. Now calling himself the Time Lord Victorioius, he will save the woman he loves. At any cost. Doctor/Donna
1. Prologue

**Hello there, everyone. I don´t exactly know how this came up to me, but the plotbunny wouldn´t let go of me. So, here is this little piece of work. I hope you like it. Not the first JE-fix it ever written and surely not the last, but hopefully a bit different from the others.**

**Um, the chapters won´t be long because I don´t have very much time to write but I don´t want to keep you waiting for long. I hope you can deal with that.**

**Title: In Flux**

**Spoilers: Journey´s End**

**Summary: The Time Lord Victorious is the one the laws of time have to obey. He is absolutely certain of that. He will change history. He will save the woman he loved. At any cost.**

**Warnings: This will probably contain a teensy bit (*cough cough*) of angst. Oh, and it´s Doctor/ Donna btw. You should know that, I guess.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Doctor Who, Donna would have had a happy ending (with the Doctor…)**

Prologue

Time is in flux. Time has always been in flux. And it will forever be. Because Time is never constant. History is not set in stone. Time is not a strict progression of cause to effect. Some points are fixed, but the most are in flux. Like a bride from Chiswick or a family from Pompeii.

Not what we say defines us but what we do. It is not important how much time we got but what we do with the time that is given to us. Some people do more good in forty years than others in eighty. But some of us get more time than anyone else. Maybe we use the time for ourselves. Maybe we use the time to travel. Maybe we use the time to save worlds. Maybe all comes hand in hand with each other.

Maybe. Maybe is a mighty word. Maybe someone can save six billion people, maybe said someone can´t. Maybe someone can stop himself from destroying a world, maybe someone can´t. Maybe someone finds the courage to change something for the better, maybe someone can´t. Maybe is the key to happiness or devastation. Maybe holds the might to save someone or to doom everyone. Maybe is one of the most powerful words in existence.

Good and bad are opposites. But not always. Often someone means it well and does bad things in the same moment. Good and bad don´t exclude each other. Without bad there would be no good. Good and bad are necessary for each other. Where is much light, the shadow goes deep. But after every rain the sun returns. Good is as important as bad. The one could not exist without the other. And sometimes – even more often than we want to believe – good and bad are the same.

Destiny is a mythos. Does it really exist? Are some events destined to happen? Are some people destined to live? Are some people destined to change something? No one holds the answer to this, not even the wisest of us. Many people say that they don´t believe in destiny. Nevertheless some people seem to be meant to do something great.

Even the smallest of us can change something if they want to. The small things can have the biggest effect. Like turning left instead of right. Or a single lost memory. Every decision closes some doors and opens several others. But a door once closed can just hardly be re-opened. You never know what would have happened, what could be. Even if we dislike what happened, it is difficult to change the past. And you can´t say whether it will become better or worse. Yet we want to change so much. And some can.

The bravest and best people can do something really good. Even when they seem to be or to do something bad, they could do something good with it. Because some of us might be destined to do something good.

Some of us are destined to change something. Even time. Because time is always in flux. Maybe time can be rewritten. But for better or for worse? Only time can tell. And time is in flux. Always.

**So, do you like the beginning? Please review, it´s like learning that 'Much ado about nothing' with DT and CT as Benedick and Beatrice is available on digital theatre**


	2. Chapter 1

**Here I am with the first chapter. I hope you like it. A little bit short, but I will try to improve that. I promise. Please review.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine.**

The control room of the TARDIS was a mess. The floor was nearly invisible under all sorts of junk, mostly mechanical pieces. Pipes, screws, tools, circuits, cables…literally everything from spanners to screens. There was nearly no surface lying free – except for one. Only the metal around the Chameleon Circuit was untouched in the radius of round about half a meter as if it were cursed. A thick layer of dust covered the metal instead.

In addition to the numerous mechanical devices there lay over twenty books, tossed away, opened, closed, abandoned without any interest. Here and there you could spot some empty bottles and tins, and even a few banana peels. A long brown trench coat was – carelessly scrunched – dangling from an arborisation of one of the pillars.

The centre of the mess was the pilot chair on which a slumped figure sat, head buried in his arms which he had steadied on the main console. The man wore a brown pinstripe suit and cream-colored converse. His usually in an artful way ruffled brown hair had grown a tad longer and was everything else than artfully styled. It was untidy and had not seen neither shampoo nor hair brush in what felt like ages. His chocolate brown eyes were blood-shot. They had not closed to sleep for over four days. Even a Time Lord had his boundaries. The Doctor – or now, the Time Lord Victorious – had not slept for four days, had not changed his clothes in the same time; he drank and ate not properly for weeks now and nothing could catch his attention or interest successfully for more than two minutes. Most of the time he was mourning and brooding.

His hearts were broken. He felt numb and empty. He felt so, so lost. He had lost his orientation since he had stepped into his box on a very rainy evening in Chiswick. Not only his orientation. He had lost his everything. He had lost his best friend. But she was so much more than that. She had encouraged, had reprimanded him when necessary, had laughed with him and cried with him. She had been mad at him, she had been awed with him, she had slapped him and she had hugged him. And she had always, no matter what, she had always understood him.

She was so much more than his best friend. She was the most important woman in his whole universe. He loved her. He loved her so much, it hurt. All the time they had travelled together, he had struggled with his feelings and now that he was sure about them, he could never tell her.

And it hurt. It hurt so much, it felt like breaking. It was not fair.

They had had the best of times and now it was over. They had wanted to travel together forever and then they were forced apart.

And he could do nothing about it.

"It´s not fair!" The pained howl escaped his throat together with a forceful bang of his right fist onto the console. His heavy breathes were practically sobbed, his eyes were red and had no more tears to cry; they had all been used. Rage and sorrow bubbled up inside him, battling and feeding off of each other. The ache in his hearts was unbearable, made even worse by the knowledge that he could never have her back. Because if the Time Lord consciousness reemerged… He shuddered by the mere thought of it. He would not be able to save her, then.

It was not fair. He, the last Time Lord and winner of the Time War – the most powerful being in the whole wide universe, damnit! – was not able to save the woman he loved. It was beyond ironic. And he hated himself for it.

But as far as he knew there was no possibility to purge the Time Lord consciousness from her brain. It did not matter, though. Not anymore. It was buried deep in her mind, repressed together with her memories. Separated effectively from her own consciousness and no threat for her brain. Repressed…together with…her memories… Yet separated… Repressed… Separated…

"Oh yes! Of course!" He jerked up, his eyes glowing triumphantly with some of their old fire. "That´s it! Ha!" Glorious joy filled his hearts and eyes. The first grin for weeks spread across his face when he shoved a few devices aside and let them clatter to the ground carelessly to set coordinates for the TARDIS.

That he had not seen it earlier! He could save Donna. And he would do it. No matter what. He was the Time Lord Victorious, after all, the most powerful being in the whole universe. And he would save the woman he loved.


	3. Chapter 2

**I´m sorry for the delay, my graduation exams got in the way... Nevertheless I shouldn´t have let you wait for so long but I tried about eight different versions of this chapter and I´m still not entirely happy with it. I hope you´ll like it, though. If the Doctor seems OoC - remember, he is the Time Lord Victorious! I imagine him more selfish and more ruthless and he is getting himself all worked up, what skews his view at reality a bit. I hope that makes sense... :-/ **

**Thank you btw for the reviews and the alerts! You´re brilliant!**

**Disclaimer: I don´t own Doctor Who. If I did, Ten´s Duplicate wouldn´t be stuck with Rose (what has he ever done to deserve THAT?)**

When Wilfred Mott opened the front door of his house, he gasped in surprise. He saw a dear friend: the Doctor. And yet... And yet he did not see the Doctor he knew, not at all. Wilf saw the shell of a broken man, shaken and haunted. The eyes lacked any sparkle or shimmer - hopelessness and sorrow were deeply engraved in their look, had dominated it for too long. But it was still the Doctor. Wilf´s heart ached when he saw his friend in that state.

"Doctor", he yelped in sursprise and stepped aside to let the time traveller inside the house.

"Wilfred", he greeted with a small nod ans stepped over the doorstep, "How are you? How is Donna?"

"I´m well, thanks son. Donna on the other hand... well..."

The Doctor´s head snapped up. "What is it, Wilf? What is wrong? Donna - Donna is alright, yeah?"

"Sure thing, son. She´s alright, she is. Has sometimes quite the headaches, but-" Wilf was never able to finish that sentence because the Doctor reacted with utter horror. "Headaches? When? Were possible triggers around? Anything unusual? Anything at all? Is she possibly remembering? What is it, Wilf?"

He had grabbed the older man by his shoulders. When he was fully aware what he had done, he let go of Wilf in an instant and paced up and down the floor. Wilf hesitated only for a second but the Doctor noticed nevertheless. "Tell me!", he snapped.

Speechless Wilf stared at the usually so very kind alien who acted nothing like the one he thought he knew. "Donna doesn´t always tell us when she´s getting headaches but it´s pretty often. She missed work because of migrane three times already. Three times, Doctor! In two weeks! And that are only the really bad ones. We´ve tried anything but there is no medicine that can help my Donna."

"That´s why I´m here", the Doctor explained.

He had inwardly flinched when Wilf had said 'my Donna'. Donna was his, the Time Lord thought viciously, his and no one else´s. He loved her, after all. Wilf was a nice fellow but he had no right to claim Donna. She would want to come with him once she would remember, no doubt. Once she would remember all those wonderful, brilliant things they had done together and once she would remember her love for him, she would want to come with him again. Maybe she would shout at him, maybe she would slap him, but in the end she would smile her dazzling smile at him and grab his hand to run off to the TARDIS and call him affectionately a daft alien, like always. Maybe she would even use the word "Spaceman". He loved it when she called him that name with this special voice she only used for him.

"What can you do to help my girl?", Wilf asked hopefully. The Time Lord could barely restrain himself from snarling _'She is not your girl! She belongs with me!' _but he managed. It was no use to shout at Wilf, after all. Instead he simply said: "Wipe her mind." Wilf stared blankly at the time traveller.

This particular moment was chosen by a ginger beauty to interrupt the two men. "Hey Gramps", Donna Noble chimed, descending from the stairs, "I just was about to- oh." She noticed the stranger in the hallway and took in his appearance.

"Hello there", the Doctor practically beamed. It wasss really her. It was Donna Noble. His beautiful, brave, brilliant Donna. Nothing else mattered, only the two of them. Here they were, together again, drinking in the presence of the other one.

"Hi", Donna said, "Who are you?"

The Doctor´s grin fell. He had nearly forgotten that she could not remember - not yet - and it ripped his hearts out.

Before he could stop himself, he rushed to her and flung himself at her, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. After a few seconds he released her and noticed the utter shock her face was mirroring. That shock was probably the only thing that saved him from one of the infamous Donna Noble´s into-next-week-without-your-TARDIS-to-get-back-slaps.

"Sorry", he grinned, not being sorry at all - the hug had been the best feeling for ages, "It´s good to see you again, Donna Noble." Donna frowned and cocked her head. "I´ve seen you before, haven´t I?", she mumbled and pressed a hand against her head. The Doctor took a step nearer and pressed his cool hands against her forehead. She sighed in relief. "Yes", the Doctor nodded, happiness flooding through him, "Yes, you have."

"Sorry for not noticing right away", Donna smiled ruefully, "But I have massive problems with my memories for quite a while."

"Nothing to be sorry for", he ensured her quickly and firmly, "It´s not your fault. But, as a matter of fact, I think I might know a way to help you with your memories, Donna." Those beautiful eyes lit up with bright sparkles and melted his hearts. For the first time in weeks he felt warm from the inside when she flashed a hopeful smile at him.

Wilf looked very uncomfortable but that old man - as nice as he could be - would not stop him from getting his Donna - his brilliant, brilliant Donna - back. And Donna surely would want to get her memories back, never mind the dangers. At least that would be what the Donna he knew, what his Donna would want. And except for a few memories, she still was his Donna. His brave, beautiful, brilliant Donna who would be able to save his life with a kiss.

"You can help me with my amnesia?" Donna rushed at him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you! That is wonderful! Brilliant!"

Something of the darkness that had settled around his heart since he had christened himself the Time Lord Victorious went away when he let himself get engulfed by the warmth and the compassion Donna radiated off. The same compassion that had healed so many wounds he had had and that had stopped the darkness from taking over his heart. He had always drunk in that compassion as soon as she had offered it to him.

He hugged her back, a blissful smile plastered on his face.

It felt so good and so right to get lost in her arms.

"What the hell is going on here?" Donna and the Doctor jumped away from each other when an enraged voice screeched at them. "Mum!", Donna gasped in surprise. The Doctor gulped.

Sylvia Noble stood there glaring at him, hands on her hips. The last person he would have wanted to meet and the last person who could be useful or helpful. And yet he had to deal with her. Great. As if he had not had anything better to do.

"Erm...Hello, Sylvia", he was very awkward and slightly nervous. For all he knew she still had that axe, after all, and he had no desire to regenerate out of this dashing appearance, thank you very much. "You!", the elderly woman seethed, "What are you doing here? Haven´t you done enough damage? Out! Out! Get out!"

It was amazing how an over ninehundred years old Time Lord who had faced entire armies practically on his own and claimed to be the most powerful being in the entire universe could get scared by one single human woman. Before he could react in any way, Donna stepped in. "Oi, what´s your problem with him, Mum?", she frowned, "He is goinng to help me. He can help me remember."

Sylvia shot him a look of deepest disdain. "In the kitchen", she hissed at him, Now."

Despite his dislike of her tone he strode into the kitchen, ready to fight for his Donna. He would even face the Daleks again for her, to hell with Sylvia Noble. She had never truly valued her brilliant daughter, so she had no right to hold her back. She had no right to decide for her. Yes, he would fight for Donna.

With crossed arms and a raised chin he turned around, glaring down at Sylvia who glared back. "You are back!", she hissed, "I told you to stay away from her. I don´t care what my father says, she is better off without you. All that babbling about helping her..." She sneered at him.

It was uncommon that a mere human could awake the Oncoming Storm with a few unfriendly words, but that was too much. it took all of his willpower not to smash the woman into the wall. And he did not hold himself back because she did not deserve it - oh how he would love to do that! - but because Donna probably would not be overly impressed with that kind of outburst. "You know nothing, Sylvia", he growled, his hands balled into shaking fists, "Nothing, you hear! I want to help her and I will help her. Never assume for just a moment that I would wish any harm upon her. She is the greatest person I have ever met and she is my dearest friend. I would do anything for her. Anything, do you get that! I would give my life for her because I love her more than you could ever fathom! I will not accept your decision. Donna will want to remember. And when she does she has every right to decide what to do. And when she will come with me, you won´t be able to stop her. Do you understand me?"

The Doctor was a frightening sight for these moments and a braver person than Sylvia Noble would not have dared to contradict him. After a few moments of silence she regained her composure and she asked him what nagged her from the last conversation they had held.

"But", she was obviously still shaken by the force and the hate of his voice, "But it is dangerous."

"I know what I´m doing."

"That was what you said when you brought her back!"

"I was emotionally shaken and not in a fit state to find a solution!"

"You said if she remembered she would die!"

"I found a way to get that sorted!"

"But it´s still dangerous, right?"

"That is not the-"

"Is that right?"

"Yes! But it won´t happen! I know what to do!"

"She could die!"

"I DON´T CARE!"

Panting and heavily breathing he glared fiercly at her. Sylvia was taken aback. Silently she gaped at him. "You-you don´t-" She could not finish that sentence.

"All I want is having my Donna back!", the Doctor snarled and rushed out of the room to join Donna and Wilf again. There his anger disappearedas soon as he saw the hopeful and happy look on Donna´s face. "Are you alright, Donna?", he asked her in a soft, reassuring voice. "Sure", she answered, "So, what are you going to do to help me?"

"It´s a tiny bit complicated to explain", he said in a suddenly very tired voice, "And I would like to do it first. Maybe it will be easier to understand afterwards. But", he raised a single finger to get her full attention and to underline his point, "It might be dangerous. The process is complicated, could maybe last a few hours and might hurt. I can´t promise anything but that I will do my very best because I can´t stand the thought of you without your memories. I want to help you."

Donna looked at him and nodded then. "Okay. I don´t care about the danger. Sometimes I think I would even be willing to die if I could only remember. And it is so great that you want to do so." She hugged him again.

The Doctor could not help himself. He smiled broadly and hugged her back once more. When he let go of her, he grabbed Donna´s hand. "Let´s not waste time, then! Let´s go into your bedroom, you should rest while we´re doing that. Allons-y!"

He dashed to the stairs, pulling Donna with him. She stifled a giggle and followed him. Somehow the running came naturally to her as soon as he had grabbed her hand.

In Donna´s room the Doctor and Donna sat down on her bed, face to face. With a nearly invisble smile the Doctor raised his hand and caressed Donna´s cheek before he laid his hands on her temples. She closed her eyes for a moment and leant into his touch what let his hearts do a little hop. Then she opened her eyes and looked straightly into his.

Her intese look caught the Doctor off guard and filled him with warmth. "Thank you", she smiled, "For doing this. But I have one question. Why do you want to help me so badly?"

The Doctor smiled back, all his love put into his look. "You will remember, Donna. Trust me, I´m the Doctor."

Then he opened the mental bond.


	4. Chapter 3

**The next chapter, hip hip hooray! I am glad that you are enjoying the story so far and hope that it will stay that way. This one is not the most eventful chapter, however I like it. It shows that the Doctor still has a soft side. D'awwwww... ;D I hope you like the change from scary to sweet here, too. I'm rambling, maybe I've watched too much of Eleven (the entire fifth season in one day - got the DVD two days ago...rambling again!). So, yeah, I'll stop blabbering now and let you read the chapter. Have fun and review! =)**

Flashes of images, feelings and impressions rushed at the Doctor's mind and were too much to follow their content. As much as he would have loved to watch every single memory and to live through every emotion to know Donna even better than before, he could not. The process was too dangerous for Donna to slow it down.

He had to carry on quickly to guarantee the maximum of safety about this process he could offer. Furthermore dealing with this quickly meant that he would get back his Donna soon. The faster, the better. That was a great motivatior. Without a feeling for the time that was passing, he continued. With every moment he absorbed more and more of Donna's consciousness and stored it in the back of his mind.

It may have lasted minutes, it may have lasted hours, the Doctor did not know.

All he knew, when he finally let go of Donna's head, was that he had the worst headache one could imagine. It felt as if a fleet of Daleks had celebrated its victory in his head. Carrying two and a half consciousnesses in one single mind - a brilliant and very complex mind, but a single one nonetheless - did tend to have that effect even on a Time Lord.

But he had not much time to get adjusted to this new situation before he had to dash forwards to grab Donna's limp body in time and save it from toppling over. With gentle hands he carefully put the lifeless form of Donna down onto her bed. Lovingly, he stroke a few strands of her ginger hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

Desperation dimmed his eyes when the Doctor saw the woman he loved laying there, no spark of life left in her, just like the time before he had meddled with her memories. But now she was not only unconscious, she was practically dead. Her body was functioning perfectly well, but it had no longer her soul, her mind inside to fill it with life.

She looked so peaceful and like the many times he had seen her sleeping. When he had watched her lying there in the dim orange light the TARDIS had produced in her room, when he had tucked her blanket around her to keep her warm and watched her, so pure, so free of any flaw. The most beautiful being he had ever laid his eyes upon, that had stolen his hearts and not even noticed. She had always been so close yet too far to reach out for and he had often just sat there in a dark corner of her bedroom to watch her sleep. So peaceful, so beautiful to look at. The one person he had ever wanted to keep close but unable to do so.

Right now she had no life left in her, yet she was only sleeping. Waiting to wake up. Waiting to come back to life and shine in all her glory.

The Time Lord concentrated to dim the increasing pounding inside his head. He had to hurry or else... He gulped. He tried with all his willpower not to think about that. But it was inevitably, for he already knew it. If he would wait for too long, Donna's consciousness would try to settle down in his own body and it would try to fight off his own mind. Under the pain of that process he would be unable to concentrate enough to give Donna her mind back.

The pain that was nagging at the back of his head seemed to lessen a bit. The Doctor used the chance to sit down on the bed and to close up the distance between Donna and himself.

Suddenly the door banged open, Sylvia standing in the doorframe, Wilf a few steps behind her. "It has been _hours_ now, so what-" As soon as Sylvia spotted the consciousnessless body of the feisty ginger, she gasped for air and rushed to her side. When Donna did not stir, she glared at the Doctor, jumping to conclusions, as usual. "You killed her! You killed my daughter, you monster!"

How dared she? How dared she declaring him guilty? Guilty of murdering the love of his love, to add fuel to fire! He, who loved her more than anything else, even more than his own life, should have willingly, fully aware of his actions, killed his beloved Donna?

"Out!", the Doctor leaped to his feet when screamed in anger at the blonde woman, "Get out of here! Right now! Don't disturb me again or Donna might indeed not survive this process. So STAY OUT!" He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the door which closed with a crash.

Afterwards he let it slide back into the inner chest pocket of his jacket, its usual place, and turned back to face Donna. Sorrow burned in his deep brown eyes when he touched her unusual cold wrist and caressed the soft skin.

In a moment of determination he sat down again and touched Donna's temples again to reestablish the mental bond once more.

When he was sure that everything was alright, he began to extract all of Donna's consciousness and memories out of his mind to transfer it back in the correct body. Meticulously he paid attention to not letting any of the Time Lord consciousness pour back into her. This way she was safe from the consciousness and would not burn up. _He_ was a Time Lord after all and could handle that half Time Lord consciousness additional to his own. That would be no problem. His psychic powers were strong enough.

Again, he lost track of time. The Doctor did not know how long he knelt over her, as careful as the universe had ever seen him, and gave Donna all of her memories back, every single one of them. The ones he did not know and all of them he did know. How she suddenly appeared inside the TARDIS, how they found each again while spying on Matron Cofelia, how they pushed that button in the Pyrovillian capsule together, how they were secured with cufflinks and faced the red-eyed Ood, how the world nearly chocked to death and could be saved because Donna brought the TARDIS back, how Donna scolded him for not letting Jenny into his hearts, how she had kissed him, and so on and so forth. All of it. All of their brilliant adventures, the best of times.

And it felt so good, so right to know that she became now shining, brilliant Donna Noble again, the most important woman in the universe, the stars would sing songs about and would always remember. She became his Donna again, his brilliant Donna. Truly his Donna. The one he knew so well and loved more than anything else in the galaxy.

Without noticing, tears silently ran down his cheeks and fell on Donna's shirt. Tears of sorrow and joy, of guilt and relief, all at the same time.

When he was finished and broke the mental bond, he felt the life sparkle and hum around her, filling her again. Now it was only a matter of time until Donna would wake up.

With that reassuring thought the Doctor laid down and slid the bed covers over Donna and himself. He wrapped his arms around her and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

He would stay with her. He would wait for her. Her would always wait for her, no matter how long. Until the very end of time, if necessary.


	5. Chapter 4

…**yeah. It has been a while. *blush* I'm incredibly sorry for that enormous delay, but I had a very rough time. A stupid excuse, I know, but I don't want to go into detail about that. However, now I am back with a new chapter and still more to follow. I hope you'll stick with me despite the long wait. Personally, I'm unsure about this chapter. It has been so long and I had difficulties getting back into it, so I'm afraid this chapter isn't the best. But next chapter will be better, I promise.**

**If I'd own Doctor Who, the Doctor and Donna would have had more than one season.**

In a tight embrace, the Doctor felt happy for the first time in months. He inhaled deeply the sweet scent of the sleeping woman he held close to his chest. He had never felt something so reassuring like her heart bear and her breath letting her chest rise and fall in a slow, but steady rhythm. These life signs were pure bliss for him, as was just laying there, embracing his best friend – the woman he loved, from behind. His nose was muzzled in the long, ginger hair and there was no space left between them. A small, nearly invisible smile tugged at his lips. She was coming back. He knew it. He just knew it. It had worked, he could feel it. The old, brilliant Donna Noble, his Donna, was coming back from a deep, long sleep.

As if she had heard his thoughts, Donna stirred. In a flash, the Time Lord was out of the bed and kneeled down at her side, steadying her while she struggled to sit up. "Easy, easy", he whispered and gently stroke her back.

Donna groaned and touched her forehead. "Damn, I feel as if a giant wasp flew through my head." Headaches were to be expected after such a complex and dangerous mind transfer, nevertheless the Doctor felt slight panic bubble up inside him.

What if had not worked? He could not have possibly screwed up! He needed her, after all! He could not lose her, not now, after he had just gotten her back!

Concerned, he grabbed the bottle of water that stood on the bedside table and handed it to Donna. "Here, drink", he instructed, "You need it." With a tired, but grateful nod the ginger took a few sips. Lovingly the Time Lord placed his hand on her forehead.

Donna sighed blissfully when the cool fingers touched her skin. It felt wonderful. She looked up to see her saviour's face and froze.

The Doctor's gaze locked with hers immediately and he could see the recognition sparking up. Those greyish-blue eyes hit him like a ton of bricks with the intensity of her look. And something was different about them. A small, nearly undetectable golden ring had settled around the pupils. He would have sworn that it had not been there before. Maybe the last traces of the former metacrisis. He would have to keep an eye on that. Still, it made her eyes even more beautiful and he felt as if he could happily look at them for the rest of his life.

"It's you", she choked on the words and a relieved smile spread over his face. It had worked. She remembered. He wanted to cry with joy. But maybe not right then and there, because he prepared himself for a slap. For the biggest slap in history.

To say he was surprised when she lunged at him and pulled him into a tight, bone-crushing hug, would be an understatement. Surprising, yes, but even more pleasant. When their bodies pressed against each other, it felt as if he had found a long lost part of himself. It felt like coming home.

The feeling was so overwhelming that a silent tear escaped his eye and ran down his cheek. He buried his head in Donna's shoulder, she pressed her head against his neck. She cried, too.

"You are here", she sobbed.

The Doctor tightened the hug. "Of course", he whispered hoarsely.

"Thank you", she mumbled.

Stunned, the Doctor looked up. "What for?", he asked incredulous.

"For coming back."

The Doctor choked on his suppressed tears. "Always", he promised and planted a soft kiss on her hair, "I could never truly leave you. I missed you. Oh, I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too", Donna whispered, her voice muffled against his shoulder, "I could not remember you, but I still missed you so badly. It hurt so much."

"I am sorry. I am so, so sorry", the Doctor chanted under his breath, feeling overwhelmed. He had her back. He had his Donna back. The full extent of that fact just began to dawn on him.

"It's alright", Donna assured, "You came back."

"Because I need you, Donna."

"I need you, too, Spaceman."

His hearts sang with joy when he heard that nickname. He chuckled softly. "Oh, I missed that, too." Strangely enough he had felt a twinge of loneliness and loss every time someone had called him 'Doctor' or later 'The Time Lord Victorious'. There had never been a single 'Spaceman', 'Martian' or 'Time Boy', let alone 'dumbo'. And it had made his hearts ache, to think that there would be nobody to call him these ridiculous nicknames, he liked so much, again.

But not anymore. Never again. Because now he had his Donna back andhe would never again let her go. "Nice to hear that, Earthgirl. Oh, Donna Noble, my brilliant Earthgirl."

"Doctor?"

"Hm?"

"Can I stay with you?"

What a question! "Forever."

Donna shot him a brilliant smile that warmed his hearts. She was obviously the happiest person on planet earth. Well, not quite. The Doctor was even happier. But she was surely the happiest human.

The Doctor let go of her, but still held her arms, unwilling to break the touch. He looked her straight into the eyes, his features taking a soft, loving expression. "When do you want to leave?", he asked hoarsely.

Without thinking, Donna asked hopefully: "When can we go?"

The Time Lord grabbed her hand and smiled an impossibly big smile, his hearts nearly bursting with joy. "Come on, then, Donna. No time to lose! Great, big universe full of secrets and wonders waiting for us! Allons-y!"

Donna laughed gleefully and let the Doctor drag her to the door. "All my stuff is still in the TARDIS, right?"

"Yes", the Doctor confirmed, "Everything's ready for you. The universe has just been waiting."

They went down the stairs, where Wilf and Sylvia seemed to argue about something. "-no reason to disturb 'em, sweetheart", Wilf said decidedly, "They'll come when-" He looked up and spotted the pair. Happily he waved and motioned them to come closer. "There you are, love", he hugged Donna, "Everything fine?"

Sylvia shot the Doctor a dark look when Donna exclaimed: "More than fine, Gramps. Brilliant, in fact. Molto bene!" She winked at the Doctor who smiled. He had never been so happy to hear that phrase since the disaster on Midnight.

"So, what will you do?" Good old Wilf, always knowing what was on Donna's mind and how to treat that subject.

"We'll go", the Doctor answered for Donna and placed a hand possessively around her shoulder, ignoring Sylvia who glared daggers at him.

"Now", Donna added, "We've got all of time and space to explore. And don't worry, Gramps, we'll be fine. Just keep looking out for a blue box." She hugged Wilf again and then waved Sylvia goodbye. "Bye, Mum, see ya."

"Goodbye, Wilf", the Doctor shook hands with the kind old man, ignored Sylvia pointedly and reached for Donna's hand. They found each other instantly.

"Good luck, sweetheart", Wilf exclaimed whole-heartedly, "And, Doctor, keep my girl safe!" At his words, the Doctor squeezed Donna's hand. She looked up and smiled at him.

When they stepped inside the TARDIS, a warm, melodic hum was their welcome. Gently, Donna patted the coral wall. "I missed you too, dear", she crooned at the machine who expressed a few more merry chimes. There was no mistaking, the TARDIS was happy about Donna's return. As was the Doctor, who felt slightly jealous of his ship, who currently got all of Donna's attention.

"So, where do you want to go, Donna?", he exclaimed and bounced to the console, "Felspoon, maybe? The planet of the moving mountains? Or a trip to an Arabian bazar in eleven eighty-four? Oooh, I know! The coral reefs of Kataa Flo Ko! You'll love them! Besides, I promised them you once already!" He beamed at the ginger who smiled at him fondly.

"All of them sound wonderful, Spaceman", he beamed at her words, "And I'd love to go there."

Instantly, the Doctor gulped. The unspoken 'but' was practically reachable.

"But", Donna continued and his hearts sank, "Maybe we could spend some time in the Vortex, first. Just…relaxing and stuff." The Time Lord let out a relieved sigh. He had feared the worst.

"Yes, of course", he nodded, "We had not even time for a little holiday, had we? So, relaxing and stuff it is. Of course, I could use a little time with the old Girl, got to do some work…"

A moody hum from the TARDIS proved his point that she had not quite forgiven him his breakdown, when he had taken near to no care of her.

"Oh, Spaceman, what have you done to your poor ship?", Donna asked with a disapproving frown, yet she could not ban the slight amusement out of her voice, and she patted the coral soothingly.

Dark, haunted shadows appeared in his gaze. Yes, what had he done? The Time Lord Victorious. He was not the Doctor anymore, at least not the one she knew. Not completely. His pain and his choices had changed him. Of course, not everything was wonderful and rainbows and glittery fairies dancing around now, but he did not regret it. Not everything, at least.

"Doctor?", Donna asked tentatively, when she noticed the look in his eyes. The burning fire that seemed so cold scared her. It was very similar to how he had watched the Racnoss die. "What happened?"

He sighed deeply. He had to explain it to her. Surely, she would understand. She always understood. Sometimes she did not approve, but she always understood. "I changed, Donna", he started, "I am not the same person you remember. Well, of course I am. I did not regenerate or something like that. Still good old dashing me", he flashed her a self-confident grin, but she merely looked back at him, "But you can see that, I guess. On the other hand, it had been a while, looking for a solution, and everything. Stuff happened, as it always does. You know. Nothing extraordinary. Nothing worthy to mention. You know I'm always alright."

Donna's eyebrows wandered upwards. "I managed to crack your special Time Lord code, remember?", she said gently and rested her hand on his arm. Her touch sent lightnings through his body.

He trembled and pulled Donna into a tight hug, seeking comfort in her compassion. "I missed you so much, Donna." She wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

"Now I'm here and I'll never leave again. I promised you forever, I plan on keeping it."

**So, the Doctor and Donna are back together again, but this is not the end. Hell, no, we're as far from the end as possible! More to come, guys, and surely faster than this time. ;D And please don't forget to press that lovely button below.**


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